The Day I Looked Forward to Casinos, Drugs, and Penises

A few weeks ago, this blog was hopping with comments and massive traffic. It was exciting. I threw myself into the joy and spent way too much time monitoring the blog and rejoicing in the sudden popularity. And, as I knew from past experience, it soon died down. My blog stats leveled back out from […]

Blog Challenge: What Are Your Most Favorite Blog Post Failures

This week’s blog challenge is: Brag about your favorite unpopular posts. On your blog, write a post about your favorite published but unpopular posts, blog posts you thought should have gotten more attention than your blog statistics report. Tell us why you think these are worthwhile posts and why you think they didn’t get the […]

Blog Struggles: Recovering From a Traffic Spike

In The Day I Looked Forward to Casinos, Drugs, and Penises, I discussed the after effects of a massive traffic spike: A few weeks ago, this blog was hopping with comments and massive traffic. It was exciting. I threw myself into the joy and spent way too much time monitoring the blog and rejoicing in […]

Blog Struggles: When An Old Post is New Again

You never know when an old post will revive itself and become one of the most popular posts on your blog at the moment. I’ve had this happen many times. Sometimes, it’s expected. More often not. In the beginning, it would send me into a panic, just another of my many blog struggles. I will […]

The Debate Over Comments and Trackbacks

Which came first? The comment or the trackback? Or should I be more clear in my question? Which should come first? The comments or the trackbacks? I have long been a fan of separating trackbacks from comments. Comments are the dialog and trackbacks are the outside discussions, incoming links from sites discussing the topic on […]

Akismet Auntie Spam Firefox-Greasemonkey Page Viewing Script

My buddy, Engtech has come up with a neat Firefox Greasemonkey script which “shrinks” your screen view of Akismet’s comment spam page viewing. The Akismet Auntie Spam Greasemonkey Script for Firefox changes the way the comment spam caught by Akismet is viewed. Instead of viewing the whole comment spam, and scrolling down screen after screen […]

I’m Winning the Battle Against Comment Spam

I’m winning the battle against comment spam. Honestly. Living in the Middle East, I learned to live with the up close and personal issue of life with terrorists and suicide bombers. Among the many lessons I learned was the reality of the phrase “You can’t let terrorists win.” While the United States is still learning […]

Will Stopping Overseas Online Gambling Payments Impact Bloggers?

There is a lot of news out today about the new US legislation passed to help end Internet Gambling within the US border. According to stock market reports, the international gaming companies are losing money as their share prices drop after the announcement that the US House of Representatives and Senate approved a bill this […]

Editing Your Blog Comments

I’ve written a lot about comments, how to handle them, respond to them, and some guidelines for posting comments. One aspect of comments rarely covered indepth is the issue of editing your comments. Not “your” comments left on other blogs, but the comments you receive on your blog. As a general rule, you can judge […]

One Year Anniversary Review: Comments on Comments

Comments were one of the main reasons I started exploring various Content Management Systems (CMS) a few years ago. After 10 years with a static website, I wanted feedback. I wanted interaction. Sites were just beginning to offer comments outside of guest books and contact forms, and I craved a responsive and interactive audience. A […]

How NOT to Comment on Comments

I’ve had a few comments on comments, and even discussed mean spirited comments, and now it’s time for a basic tutorial in how NOT to comment on comments. I’m not talking about comment spam comments. I talking about a tutorial on the technique of commenting in the comments on blogs and how to get a […]

How to Handle Tough Questions (and Comments) from an Audience

Calling All Stupid Comment Spammers

Hey, be a pal. Don’t delete this so I can get the backlink. Okay? I hate comment spam. It is such a waste of time. But this one cracked me up. The fact that it came from something named “Smartloans” tells me they ain’t too smart. Calling all stupid comment spammers! Pay attention. Listen closely. […]

Illegal Internet Gambling and Gambling Comment Spam

The US Government, along with many individual states and many governments outside of the United States, are doing their best to stop, control, or regulate Internet gambling. The US is taking the ultimatum method and making all online gambling illegal, resorting to the Federal Wire Wager Act (18 U.S.C. § 1084 (1994), which says: Whoever […]

Check Your WordPress.com Comments for Comment Spam

I wrote a few days ago about the massive comment spam attack on WordPress blogs, especially WordPress.com blogs, and how for the most part, Akismet was catching all the evil comment spam. Well, the battle is still being won, but comment spam is slipping through. A huge round of hotels, steroids, and other comment spam, […]